


Love's Crescendo

by LSWells



Series: Love Series [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: BDSM, M/M, New Relationship, Romance, male/male relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:22:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27693355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LSWells/pseuds/LSWells
Summary: Remulus 'Remmy' Williams is a man who's been hurt before. Because of this, he guards his heart with a determination that has lasted years. However, upon visiting his best friend's coffee shop, he sees a man that distracts him beyond reason. Unable to understand it, he finds himself unable to forget the man as he leaves without getting his name.David Stephenson is a man old enough to know what he wants in life and is not willing to settle for less. A very calm individual, he is surprised when he catches sight of a beautiful young man in a coffee shop. Not someone he would normally approach, he is content to observe him, until he realizes that the interest he has is returned.A chance meeting in this coffee shop sparks the beginning of a love that will heal a broken heart and bring happiness to both men. Through mutual support and encouragement, both Remmy and David will come to realize that they were meant for each other, and that there is no greater story than their own love story.
Series: Love Series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1656184
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

The man across the room was a distraction that he couldn’t understand. There wasn’t anything special about him that stood out. If anything, most people wouldn’t look twice at him. While he looked fit, it was quite obvious that he wasn’t a small man. He had a bit of a stomach on him and he was dressed rather like someone that would feel more comfortable in a country bar than the coffee shop he was in. Shifting in his seat, he raised his cup to his lips as he attempted to get a better look at the man he had been examining for the last twenty minutes.

Taking a sip of the cappuccino he held, he let his eyes rove over the other man, taking in the clothing he was wearing; ripped jeans that had very obviously ended up that way due to wear and tear and not because they were bought that way, a red plaid that was unbuttoned over a plain white tee that stretched over the man’s stomach and hugged his chest. His light brown hair was brushed back, but it was obvious that it would hang in his eyes if allowed. He couldn’t tell what color the man’s eyes were from where he sat, but he was too busy looking at everything else to care much at the moment. Licking his lips uncertainly, he glanced down at his cup and wondered again why he was so preoccupied with the man.

Glancing around the coffee shop, he caught his friend staring at him and blushed lightly, shaking his head firmly. He knew that look. His friend owned the small coffee shop that he frequented, but sometimes she was too nosy for her own good. Seeing that look on her face told him that he was going to be questioned about his interest in the man, despite how much he wished otherwise.

“Hey Remmy!”

Wincing when he caught the man he’d been examining glance his way, he forced his attention to remain on his friend and stood after placing his cup on the table. Straightening his tee shirt, he shoved his hands into his back pockets and strode towards the counter with a dark glare on his face.

“What, Reina?” he hissed, leaning over the counter and hoping that the blush on his cheeks wasn’t dark enough to be noticed by the man at the end of the counter.

Reina smirked and leaned in close, lowering her voice to a whisper so as not to be overheard. “He’s not your usual type. Usually you go for the tiny little darlings,” she commented lowly, cutting her eyes sideways to glance at the bigger man at the end of the counter. “He seems very...homely.”

Eyes narrowing, Remmy straightened and met his friend’s eyes calmly. “I never took you for that sort of person, Reina,” he muttered, shaking his head and walking back to his table. Pulling his laptop towards him, he ignored the protests that came from his friend and popped in the ear buds he had brought with him. Opening the mixer that he used, he started splicing together the music that he would use that weekend.

He glanced up after a few minutes to see that Reina had stopped trying to get his attention and had instead moved to talk to the man he’d been watching. Placing his head in his hand, he rubbed his eyes in exasperation when he saw her laugh and motion towards him, shaking her head. He avoided looking directly at the man, glancing at him underneath his lashes as he tried to concentrate on his work.

Slowly, he stopped working and took the ear buds out of his ears. Picking up his cup again and raising it to his lips, he sighed and let a hand drop to his thigh. When his lips didn’t taste the warm heat of cappuccino, he looked into the empty cup, feeling slightly betrayed at the sight of the bottom of the pale porcelain cup. When had he finished his drink? Hearing a soft chuckle over the low music that Reina insisted on playing, he glanced up and immediately met the eyes of the man across the room to see him watching him with a soft smile on his face.

Eyes widening, he watched the man turn to Reina and murmur something with a motion towards him. Taking a deep breath, he placed the cup back onto the saucer that sat next to his laptop and focused on the screen, biting the inside of his cheek. What the hell was wrong with him? Reina had been right in saying that the man didn’t meet his usual criteria. The men he involved himself with were usually dainty little things that looked like they’d blow over in a stiff wind. This man was the complete opposite of what he looked for, and was much larger than his own slim, athletic build.

A cup being placed in front of him startled him out of his thoughts and he looked up to meet Reina’s eyes with a confused hum. “What...?” he started, frowning.

“The gentleman across the shop sends this with his regards,” Reina murmured with a wide smile, gently pushing the cup towards Remmy with a nod towards the man.

Shocked, Remmy glanced at the man to see him nod towards him with that same soft smile on his lips. Looking down, Remmy reached out and grasped the handle of the cup and pulled it towards him as Reina took the empty cup, leaving only the saucer behind. Blushing lightly, he flicked his gaze towards the other man and nodded hesitantly in thanks for the drink before pushing his ear buds back into his ears and ducking his head.

A moment later he cursed loudly and ripped the ear buds out of his ears, shoving them into the bag he had with him, followed by the laptop. “Reina! I need a takeaway cup!” he shouted, pulling his things together and shoving them into the bag.

“Here ya go, Remmy,” Reina stated, placing the cup in front of him. “Late for work?”

Nodding, Remmy carefully gripped the cup and poured its contents into the paper cup, shaking it to ensure that he got all the liquid. Placing the lid on the cup, he stood and swung his bag over his head, settling the strap across his chest and pushing his wallet and phone into his back pockets. Glancing at the man across the shop, he licked his lips when he realized he’d have to pass him on his way out.

Turning to his friend, he nodded. “Thanks, Reina,” he muttered, turning and walking towards the exit. As he neared the man, he stuttered to a stop when he looked up at him with a curious smile. Meeting the man’s eyes, he felt his knees go weak and had to stop himself from gasping. He had never seen eyes that blue before. Raising the takeaway cup he held, he gave the man a shy smile. “T-thanks...”

“You’re welcome,” came a soft rumble from the man’s mouth, making a deep blush flare across Remmy’s cheeks in response.

“I...yeah,” Remmy muttered, pulling his gaze from the man and striding towards the exit, bursting out onto the bustling street and almost yelping at the immediate slap of cold September air that hit him in the face. Shaking his head, he glanced at his watch and strode down the street, darting around pedestrians as his steps quickened.

He’d been too distracted with examining the man in the coffee shop to realize how much time had passed. Ryan would kill him if he was late. He had a huge client coming to the bar that night and he needed to ensure that everything ran smoothly. If his DJ didn’t show up, that wasn’t going to happen. Luckily, the bar wasn’t that far away from Reina’s coffee house, so he managed to make it there with enough time to spare. Bursting into the break room that was reserved for staff, he strode to his locker and shoved his bag inside after removing his laptop and charger, locking it behind him.

“Ryan was getting worried you’d be late.”

Remmy turned and smiled at the shorter man that stood in the doorway, shaking his head. Striding forward, he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. “Ryan worries over everything, Nate,” he murmured, laughing at the blush that graced the smaller man’s cheeks.

“Stop flirting, Remulus Williams,” Nate scolded, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at the taller man.

“Ouch, Nate,” Remmy exclaimed, laughing. “Not the full name!”

“I don’t know why I bother,” Nate muttered, turning and walking out of the room.

“Oh, come on,” Remmy teased, throwing his arm around the other man’s shoulders. “We’ve been friends for how long now?”

“Irrelevant,” declared a deep voice. “Now get your arm off my husband.”

“Ryan! Hey boss!” Remmy exclaimed, grinning at the other man as he did as instructed and released the smaller man.

“Lost track of time at Reina’s again?” Ryan questioned, pulling Nate to his side with a huff.

“Yeah, kinda,” Remmy replied, shrugging as he walked towards the DJ room, grinning over his shoulder at the two men who followed.

Ryan and Nate had been together for what seemed like forever and he couldn’t be happier for the two. He’d been friends with Ryan before he’d met Nate. Ryan had gone to the same high school that Reina and he had attended, and they’d been close ever since. He’d been there when Ryan had met Nate and had assisted in pushing the two together and getting them to admit their feelings. The two of them had been married for just over a year now and he could tell that their relationship would be one that lasted. He just wished he could find someone that would look at him the same way that Ryan looked at Nate sometimes, but he never let anyone know.

As he set up his laptop, his mind drifted back to the man he’d left in the coffee shop and he paused, staring down at his black screen. Why was he still thinking about that man? He really wasn’t the type that he normally found attractive but something about the man drew his attention like a moth to a flame.

“Remmy?” Nate murmured softly, frowning in concern. “Are you okay?”

“Hmm?” Remmy sounded, looking up into the worried faces of both of his friends. “Yeah, I’m good. What’s going on tonight anyway?”

Nate and Ryan shared a look of concern before letting the obvious change in subject go. “Anniversary,” Ryan stated, shrugging. “Normally I wouldn’t accept such a small party, but they paid the normal asking price for a full booking and they’re good people.”

“How many people?” Remmy questioned curiously, refocusing on setting up his laptop. He opened several files and flicked through them looking for the appropriate music for the event described.

“About thirty, give or take,” Nate replied, smiling. “The couple are super adorable. They’ve been together for five years already and their friends wanted to surprise them with a party.”

Remmy nodded in understanding, smiling brightly at Nate. “Understandable then,” he declared, settling on a playlist. “I take it my normal choice of playlist will be fine?”

“It should be,” Ryan stated, nodding. “Though, I did tell them that they could request songs if they wanted.”

“Righto,” Remmy murmured, opening up a folder filled with music to prepare for the potentiality of requests. “I’m all set then.”

“Great,” Nate sighed, looking over his shoulder as he heard knocking. “Just in time. That would be them.”

“Go on then,” Remmy urged, practically pushing the two men out of his booth and closing the door behind them, encompassing the room in blessed silence. Releasing a deep breath, he flopped into the chair at the desk, pulling his laptop towards him and connecting the large headset to the computer. Slipping the headset onto his head, he ensured he kept one ear free to be able to hear the door if anyone knocked and started up the music, lowering the volume just a smidge in respect for the two large tables that were set up with chairs for the dinner that was to accompany the anniversary celebration.

As he went about setting up the playlist for the night, he glanced up and chuckled at the stream of people that entered the club. Seeing the diversity of the group, he nodded to himself, understanding why Ryan had actually allowed the booking. A lot of the men were bigger guys and a few of them looked like they wouldn’t be able to get into a good restaurant just based on their looks alone.

Snorting, he returned his attention to the computer in front of him and opened up a game of solitaire to play while he worked. If there was one bad thing he could say about the city he lived in it was that people were often too judgemental. You would think that with the day and age they lived in, people would stop judging based on looks, but it was still a major problem and it tended to piss him off. Maybe that was the reason he was drawn to the smaller men like Nate. Something in him just screamed at him to protect them and it was hard not to become involved with them when they just seemed so happy to be around him.

As he glanced up again, his eyes widened in shock and he was never more grateful for the fact that the DJ booth was surrounded with two-way mirrors. His eyes gravitated immediately towards the bigger man that he had been examining in the coffee shop and he felt his cheeks heat up as he saw the huge smile on the man’s face. As he watched, the man approached what he assumed to be the couple celebrating their anniversary and hug them in turn.

He couldn’t hear anything outside of the booth but based on the look on the two men’s faces, they appeared to be happy to see him. His attention focused on the bigger guy, he failed to notice the door to the booth open until his name was said.

“Remmy?” Ryan questioned softly, frowning at the distracted look his friend had.

“Hmm...what?” Remmy murmured, forcibly prying his eyes away from the man he’d been staring at and looking at Ryan. He blushed brightly at the small grin his friend directed at him as he looked through the mirror at the crowd.

“See someone you like?” Ryan questioned softly, leaning against the doorframe of the booth.

Remmy sighed and rubbed his hand across his face, knowing that Ryan would be the last person to judge him for his preferences. Both of his friends were very understanding, despite Reina’s words earlier, but for some reason he felt embarrassed to admit who he had been staring at. “Not really,” he hedged, shrugging as he forced his attention back to the computer in front of him. “Just thinking about a guy I met last week.”

Ryan nodded knowingly, smirking as he crossed his arms. “You fuck him yet?” he questioned, laughing at the irritated look he received.

“Despite what you and Reina think, I don’t sleep with everything that walks past me,” he grumbled, growing irritated with the noise from the club floor. “Now come in and close the door if you want to talk, otherwise get out of my booth.”

Ryan laughed and nodded, stepping back through the doorway. “Just wanted to know what you wanted to eat and drink? The food is being made by the place next door,” he stated.

Excited, Remmy sat up and grinned at Ryan. “Two of their corned beef sandwiches, a large poutine and a couple of their cappuccinos,” he rattled off. “And tell Jimmy I said not to skimp on the fries this time. You can’t have a poutine without the damn fries.”

“I’ll never understand how you people can eat that crap,” Ryan muttered, laughing. “How many cappuccinos? Your usual?”

“Yeah, that’ll be fine,” Remmy stated, already rubbing his hands together. “And stop belittling my people! Canada is a beautiful country!”

Laughing, Ryan rolled his eyes and nodded. He closed the door behind him, blocking out all noise again as he did so. Remmy turned back to the music with a grin, reaching out for the takeaway cup that sat next to his computer and draining it, tossing the cup into the bin under his desk. Shivering at the sweetness that filled his mouth, he relaxed back in his chair and started his game of solitaire. If his eyes happened to drift up every now and then to find the man he’d been preoccupied with, he didn’t notice.


	2. Chapter 2

“David!” a man called, laughing as he ran towards the bigger man. Throwing his arms around the man he grinned and hugged him tightly. “I’m glad that you could come!”

“Of course, Geoff,” David replied, laughing as he hugged the smaller man back. “I wouldn’t miss my little brother’s anniversary for anything.”

Geoff pulled back from his brother and grinned up into the matching blue eyes, shaking his head in amusement. “Speaking of anniversaries, when are you going to find someone to settle down with? You’re not getting any younger, you know,” he stated, placing his hands on his hips and watching his brother hug his husband.

“Geoff, leave David alone,” the other man stated, laughing at the disgruntled look that appeared on his husband’s face.

“Don’t stick up for him Chris,” Geoff stated, narrowing his eyes. “Mother is incensed that he still hasn’t found someone.” He turned his attention to David to see his brother grinning at him. “Don’t give me that look. You’re lucky she wasn’t able to come today.”

David rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin, shrugging his big shoulders. “Sorry, Geoff,” he replied. “There just hasn’t been anyone that...caught my eye really...” He trailed off as he thought of the young man that he’d seen at the coffee shop, chuckling softly as he remembered how cute he had looked when he’d realized that he’d emptied his cup.

“Wait...” Geoff murmured, examining his brother. “You met someone!” His eyes lit up as David avoided meeting his eyes and he laughed loudly. “Who is it?”

David rolled his eyes and shrugged, glancing around the room. “I didn’t really meet him,” he hedged, sighing.

“Okay, so what happened?” Geoff prodded, waving off his husband’s hand and moving closer to his brother.

“I was at a coffee shop near here,” David murmured softly with a small smile. “He was working there, I think. At least, I think that’s what he was doing. He had a laptop and everything in front of him.”

“And?” Geoff urged.

“I bought him a cappuccino when his ran out,” David stated, shaking his head. “That’s it. I didn’t even get his name because he ran out so quickly. Apparently, he was late for work.”

“What did he look like?” Geoff demanded, his expression eager.

“He was adorable,” David laughed, meeting his brother’s eyes. “A little shorter than me, athletic build, with the most beautiful deep green eyes.”

Geoff rolled his eyes as he shook his head. “His hair, David,” he prompted. “What kind of hair style did he have?”

David grinned and replied, “Kind of a messy undercut with a longer fringe, Mr. Hairdresser.”

Geoff tapped his lip with a finger and nodded. “I can imagine him,” he murmured, grinning. “He sounds cute.”

“Geoff,” Chris sighed, pulling his husband close. “Stop badgering your brother.”

“I’m interested in his welfare, Chris,” Geoff objected. “Besides, I need something to tell Mother or we’ll have to deal with her.”

David looked up as he heard laughter, glancing over at the mirrored room. He’d figured it to be two-way mirrors when he arrived, and it turns out he was right. The owner of the club was stood in a doorway that he hadn’t noticed, talking to whoever was on the inside of the room. A brief moment passed before he heard the voice inside call out something about fries and Canada.

Frowning slightly, he wondered why the voice sounded familiar to him, but he figured that it was because of the music that was playing. He probably only thought it was familiar. Shaking his head, he turned back to his brother and grinned. “So, when is dinner getting here? I’m starving,” he declared, laughing.

“Ryan just went to ask the DJ what he wanted to eat and then he’s going next door to request the food be brought over,” Chris stated with a smile. “I heard the food there was fantastic. We knew no one would want anything too fancy, so we ordered from Jimmy’s.”

David nodded in agreement, looking around at their large group of friends. Chris was right in assuming these guys wouldn’t want fancy. Most of them lived off take out and wouldn’t be caught dead in a restaurant. The ones that didn’t eat take out, made their own foods and grew their own gardens, a huge accomplishment in a city as big as Columbus. Then again, a lot of the men at the party had their own homes in the rural areas of the city, so they had small plots of land dedicated to growing their own vegetables; something he planned on doing as soon as his house was finished.

“Is Ryan going to be bringing it all back alone?” David questioned in surprise, glancing over to see the man leaving the club.

“Jimmy’s got a couple part timer’s that are going to help out,” Geoff explained, shaking his head. “He should be fine.”

David nodded and looked around, grinning at Nate standing near the bar. “I’ll be back,” he stated, already heading Nate’s way. “Gunna get me a cold one.”

Geoff laughed and waved his brother off, turning to talk to another of their friends who had decided to approach.

“Hey Nate,” David greeted, leaning against the bar and grinning at the smaller man. “How’re things going?”

“David!” Nate exclaimed, grinning. “I haven’t seen you in ages. Not since you bought that house on the other side of the city. Lincoln Village, right?”

“That’s right,” David replied, taking the beer that was held out to him. “Thanks.”

Nate nodded with a grin, leaning against the bar. “How are you liking it out there?”

“It’s home,” David stated, lifting the bottle to his lips. “I got a good deal on the house because it needed repairs, but I managed it just fine. Just finished the outside and the upstairs. One room at a time. Gotta go slow, or I’ll end up without a decent place to live.”

Laughing, Nate nodded and glanced up when Ryan returned with his arms full. “Ryan!” he called, moving towards the man. “I thought Jimmy was sending someone to help?”

Ryan grinned at his husband, replying, “He did. Get the door for them, will ya?”

Rolling his eyes, Nate moved from behind the bar and towards the door, opening it for the men waiting outside.

“Hey David!” Ryan greeted, nodding his thanks when the man relieved him of the bag dangling from his fingers and the tray with the coffee cups on it. “Would you mind bringing those to the DJ booth?”

David looked at the cups on the tray and laughed. “All four of them?” he questioned in surprise.

“Yeah,” Ryan replied, setting the bags he had down. “The food as well. Our beloved DJ has a caffeine addiction. I swear he can’t go a day without a cappuccino.”

David laughed and nodded, taking the items in hand and heading for the room.

“Go right on in,” Ryan called, distracted by the bags of food being piled on the bar. “If he gets pissy, threaten to take away his cappuccinos.”

David grinned and shook his head, shifting the tray to his other hand and reaching out to push open the door of the booth. Stepping up, he paused when he saw the man inside with a set of headphones over his head, one ear left uncovered. Eyes widening marginally, he realized that he was looking at the guy he’d seen in the coffee shop and his smile softened.

“Come in if you’re coming in,” Remmy ordered softly, glaring at the computer screen as he flicked back over to the mixer program he was using. The program he used for the music in the club was built into the panel in front of him, so he could work on his future playlists without worrying about interrupting the music for the club.

David stepped into the room and closed the door gently behind him, still holding onto the tray and the food bag. It was obvious the younger man was distracted by his work and he reached over and placed the food on the empty spot near the laptop, careful not to disturb him.

Remmy glanced at the food bag and pulled it towards him, pushing the headset down to rest around his neck as he stretched. Digging through the bag, he pulled out the food containers. “Jimmy better not have skimped on the fries,” he muttered, scowling at the bag. “I swear, one of these days I need to go over and teach him how to make a proper poutine. None of this grated cheese bullshit. Wait, where’s my cappuccino?”

David stifled his laughter and placed the tray on the table. At the sigh of happiness from the other man, he couldn’t help himself and a soft laugh escaped.

Remmy froze when he realized that it wasn’t Ryan or Nate in the room with him. Eyes widening, his head snapped up and met the eyes of the man from earlier and he blushed brightly. “Shit...” he muttered, putting the food container he’d been holding down and nearly ripping the headset from around his neck. “I-I thought you were Ryan or Nate.”

David shook his head and leaned against the closed door as he met Remmy’s eyes. “Remmy, wasn’t it?” he questioned softly, his eyes never leaving the face of the man before him. Holding out his hand, he smiled. “My name’s David. It’s wonderful to meet you properly.”

Remmy stared at the hand in disbelief, cursing his sudden spat of shyness. He really needed to figure out what the hell was going on and why he was acting like he was. Hesitantly, he reached out and grasped the man’s hand, shaking it once as he looked up. “It...it’s nice to meet you, David,” he murmured, glancing at the food and cappuccino. “Thanks for that. I assume Ryan asked you to bring it to me?”

“He had his hands full with food for the party,” David confirmed, holding the hand in his. The skin was smooth, unlike his own.

Remmy nodded, glancing at the hand that held his. Eyes widening, he pulled his hand free, shivering at the rough feel of the man’s skin against his own. Clearing his throat, he turned back to the computer and attempted to look busy, hoping the man would get the hint and leave him alone so he could compose himself.

David chuckled and pulled up a chair, straddling it and resting his arms over the back as he examined the program on the computer. He knew what the younger man was doing, but he was way too interested to leave him alone. “So, you’re a DJ here,” he murmured, smiling at the man. “You’ve known Ryan long?”

Remmy mentally counted to ten as he nodded and replied, “Since high school, so almost ten years. He transferred schools in our senior year, and we hit it off.”

“That’s good,” David stated. “So, do you just work here?”

Remmy shook his head, not moving his gaze from his laptop. “I work at the university as well,” he replied. “I tutor students in the music programs they have, and I help out at the theatre with the soundboards. But that’s only when they have productions. Mostly it’s just here and the tutoring.”

“That sounds fulfilling,” David commented before falling silent. He wanted Remmy to ask questions as well. Having him show an interest in him meant that he might actually be able to get somewhere with the man.

Remmy twitched in his seat when the silence stretched on, almost giving into the urge to look at the other man. Clearing his throat, he murmured, “What do you do?”

David smiled softly, nodding at the interest. “Lately I’ve been remodelling the house I just bought, but I own my own construction company,” he replied. “Nothing big or fancy, but I make enough money to live comfortably.”

Remmy glanced at the man sideways, biting his lip uncertainly as he nodded. “I...kinda figured you worked with your hands a lot,” he stated.

“Oh?” David prompted, grinning. “Why’s that?”

Remmy scrambled for words as he tried to come up with a response to that before he shrugged and mumbled, “You seem like the type...I dunno.”

David chuckled and reached out for one of the cappuccinos, holding it out for Remmy. “Here,” he offered, smiling gently. “I heard from Ryan that you couldn’t live without these. Considering the amount on the tray, I’m assuming he’s correct in his assessment.”

Remmy glanced up at the view of the club, narrowing his eyes at Ryan’s laughing figure as he distributed the food to the party goers, watching them sit down. Of course, Ryan had snitched on him. Taking the cup, he smiled shyly and nodded. “Thanks,” he murmured. “But Ryan exaggerates. I can live without them; I just really like the sweetness.”

“That explains it then,” David stated, nodding his head in understanding.

Frowning, Remmy took a sip of the cappuccino and placed it on the desk next to his computer. “Explains what?” he questioned.

Looking directly at Remmy, David lifted his hand and cupped Remmy’s chin, turning his head to meet his eyes. “Why you’re so sweet,” he replied simply, smiling at the wide-eyed look he got in return.

“I...what?” Remmy whispered, his mind blanking as he stared into the bright blue eyes of the man sitting next to him.

“I think you’re very sweet,” David replied, his hand shifting to cup Remmy’s cheek as his thumb brushed across the younger man’s cheekbone. “If you’re amendable, I’d like to take you out for dinner sometime.”

Remmy could only nod in agreement, unable to break eye contact with the other man. If this situation had been with anyone else, a kiss would be following shortly, and he didn’t know what worried him more. The fact that he was hoping for the kiss or the fact that he knew he’d be disappointed if it didn’t happen. He unconsciously leaned closer to the other man, his eyes falling to the soft looking lips that he wanted on his own.

David’s breath hitched slightly, and he knew that he had to get out of there. It would be bad form to ravish the beautiful man before they’d gotten to know each other, and he wasn’t about to be anything less than a gentleman. Releasing his hold on Remmy’s face, he sat back and almost groaned at the look of disappointment and loss that crossed the other man’s face.

Grabbing a pen and a scrap of paper, he held it out to the man and smiled gently. “Write your number down,” he instructed, smile widening slightly when Remmy took the paper and scratched his number onto it. “I’ll call you in a couple of days to set up a good time, okay?”

Remmy nodded hesitantly, watching the man stand and move the chair back to where he’d found it. Biting his lip, he turned his chair and watched the man head towards the door. “Wait,” he murmured, standing when the man stopped and looked over his shoulder in question. Moving closer, he tilted his head and placed his hand on David’s arm, eyes widening slightly when all he felt was muscle rather than the softness he’d expected. Looking up at him, he licked his lips unconsciously and frowned. “I...I’m free this Sunday, if you want to do something.”

David smiled and cupped Remmy’s cheek again, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his forehead before pulling back. “I’m busy all weekend, unfortunately,” he responded. “But I’ll definitely call you by Tuesday.”

Remmy looked down and nodded. “Okay,” he murmured, pulling back as his fingers trailed down David’s arm. He shivered when his fingertips met the bare skin of his forearm and stepped back. “I’ll...look forward to your call then.”

David nodded and opened the door, slipping out of the booth and walking towards the tables. Slipping into the chair next to Geoff, he relaxed and grinned widely, glad his back was to the booth.

“You look smug,” Geoff commented, laughing.

Glancing at his brother sideways, he chuckled. “Remember the guy I told you about?” he questioned, picking up the sandwich in front of him.

“Yeah,” Geoff replied, tone curious.

“He’s the DJ,” David remarked, taking a bite of the sandwich and throwing a smile at Geoff. “He gave me his number. I’m going to call him next week.”

“What?” Geoff exclaimed, turning in his seat to stare at his brother. “Why not now? Go on! Shoo!”

“Geoff, he’s working right now,” David pointed out, shaking his head.

“So, this weekend, then,” Geoff stated. “All you’re doing is working on your house. It can wait.”

“I already told him I was busy all weekend,” David remarked, taking another bite of his sandwich. “I want him to wait. The longer he waits, the more likely he is to remain interested.”

Geoff nodded in understanding, sitting back in his chair with a grin. “Good idea,” he decided. “Make him wait and let the anticipation build up.”

David chuckled and nodded, turning his attention to his food. Thinking about the man in the booth again, he shifted and grinned to himself. He really did seem like a sweet man and he hoped that everything worked out.

“Mother’s going to be so happy when I tell her you found someone!” Geoff cackled, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.


	3. Chapter 3

Remmy threw himself back on the bed, scowling at the ceiling in frustration. After the party of Thursday night, he’d been so preoccupied with thoughts of David that he hadn’t been able to avoid drawing attention and concern from Ryan. He was lucky that he’d had his setup completed for Friday and Saturday night, otherwise he would have been in a boatload of trouble. As it was, he’d already progressed to the point of receiving worried looks from Nate after he’d snapped at Ryan that he was fine and to mind his own business.

He’d just gotten home from wandering around for a few hours after work and it was already looked like it was going to be a beautiful Sunday. And, as he’d been doing for the last couple of days, he still couldn’t stop checking his phone. He scowled and cursed himself for not thinking to get David’s number in return and also for being so concerned over why the man hadn’t called yet. He had said he would call by Tuesday, and he really should know better than to expect a call on Sunday. The man had said he would be busy all weekend, after all.

Rolling over onto his side, he held his phone in front of his face and glared at it, willing it to ring. When it didn’t, he threw it on his nightstand, disgusted with himself. “Why am I so obsessed?” he muttered to himself. He still hadn’t even figured that out. “Do I...do I actually like him?”

Remmy rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling again, this time in contemplation. His thoughts turned to the man and he blushed lightly as he remembered how the man had looked at him. He’d referred to him as sweet, but he thought that described David more than it did him. He recalled how his bright blue eyes had seemed to glow when he’d stared at him and shifted uncomfortably. Biting his lip, he remembered how firm his arm had been when he’d touched it and wondered what it would feel like to have those arms wrapped around him as he took the man deep inside him.

Eyes widening, he shot up with a squeak. “What the fuck...?” he whispered, shocked. He was not one to let himself be taken, preferring to top when it came to his sexual partners. It was one of the reasons he usually dated men that were more delicate than him. The last time he’d bottomed for anyone had been high school, and he didn’t like to think about that.

Shivering at the thought, he glanced down at his lap and shook his head at the bulge in his shorts. “Jesus Christ,” he murmured, flopping back onto the bed and running his fingers through his fringe. He thought back to how Reina had reacted to his interest in David and scowled slightly, flipping onto his stomach and sticking his head under his pillow. She’d never let him live it down. It was well known that he never let anyone top him, but no one would believe that David would bottom, even if the man enjoyed it.

Scowling again, he slapped the bed. “Not that it’s any of their business anyway,” he grumbled, his voice muffled by the pillow.

His phone rang and he ripped his head out from under the pillow, staring at the device in shock as if it had made some demonic noise before scrambling for it frantically. Not even bothering to check who it was, he picked it up and put it to his ear. “Hello?” he answered, breathless.

“...”

He visibly deflated as he recognized Reina’s voice, flopping back onto the bed and ending up hanging over the edge. “Oh, it’s you,” he mumbled, pouting at the floor. There was no doubt about it now. After that reaction, he had to admit – at least to himself – that he liked David. There was no way he would have acted like that otherwise.

“...”

“Do you really think I’d answer the phone if I was having sex?” he questioned, rolling off the bed and landing on the carpeted floor with a thump.

“...”

“I rolled off my bed, you freak,” he muttered, poking his head underneath the bed and digging around for his charge cable.

“...”

“Looking for my charger, Reina,” he stated, rolling his eyes. “What’s with the third degree?”

“...”

“No, I just got home,” he stated, a triumphant sound spilling from his lips as he found the cord for his charger and plugged his phone into it. “I went for a walk after work.”

“...”

“Yes, Reina,” he replied. “It was a long walk. I had a few things on my mind that I needed to think about.”

“...”

“Nothing major,” he answered, sitting up and leaning against his bed, looking out the double doors that led to his balcony. “Just had some stuff I needed to work through.”

“...”

“I know,” he replied softly. “If I need to talk, I promise I’ll call you.”

“...”

“Nah, Jesse hasn’t been around in a couple of weeks,” he commented. Jesse had been the last guy he’d dated, but they’d decided that it wasn’t right for either of them, so they’d broken it off. Since then, he’d not really been interested in anyone. Until David.

“...”

“You know, Reina,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. “Despite what you and Ryan think, I am capable of going more than twenty-four hours without sex. It’s not a requirement for me to live my life.”

“...”

“I am _not_ bitchy if I don’t get sex!” he objected, pulling the phone from his ear and scowling angrily at it.

“...”

“I’m not going out to find someone to have sex with,” he stated dryly, stretching his foot out and touching the glass pane of the door only to yank his foot back, shivering.

“...”

Suddenly irritated, he growled softly and snapped, “Maybe I want to find someone who actually loves me, Reina? You ever think of that? Maybe I’m tired of going from guy to guy.”

“...”

“Fuck this, I’ll talk to you later,” he snapped, disconnecting the call and tossing it on the bed behind him. “Fucking meddling bitch. God knows why I love her so much.”

The phone rang again, and he growled angrily, reaching behind himself. Answering the call without looking at it, he snapped, “What, Reina?”

“...”

Eyes widening, Remmy sat up straight and squeaked softly. “David!” he exclaimed, blushing brightly. “I am so sorry!”

“...”

“No, no! It’s not a bad time! I promise,” he rushed out, almost shaking in excitement.

“...”

“It’s fine,” he assured. “She just said something that pissed me off. We’re always fighting, but we love each other. She’s like a sister to me.”

“...”

“I’m not really doing much,” he replied, smiling. “I just got home from work not too long ago, so I was relaxing.”

“...”

“Oh, no,” he stated, laughing. “I finished work a few hours ago. I just had a lot on my mind, so I took a walk...a long walk.”

“...”

“No, I’m not too tired,” he insisted, shifting and crawling up onto the bed. “I can talk.”

“...”

“It went okay,” he murmured, putting his phone on speaker and placing it on the pillow next to his head. “You’re on speaker by the way. No one else is here though.”

“That’s fine,” David replied, his voice sounding amused. “What are you doing that I need to be on speaker?”

“I’m just lying in bed. I haven’t slept yet so it’s nice to relax in bed,” Remmy replied, stretching with a soft moan of satisfaction. “I’m just happy it’s warm. Made the mistake of touching the glass doors to my balcony with my bare foot earlier and just about lost my toe. It’s bloody cold out.”

David chuckled softly, asking, “You don’t like the cold?”

“I mean, don’t get me wrong,” Remmy stated. “I like the cold just as much as the next person. There’s a lot to be said for the cold if you’re with someone. But alone, count me out. It’s one of the things I hated about home.”

There was a slight pause before David questioned, his tone slightly different, “Where’s home for you?”

“Canada,” Remmy replied easily. “Specifically, northern Ontario. I can’t remember the amount of times I had to deal with random snowstorms and whatnot growing up. I was happy when Mom moved us to Ohio when I was in junior high.”

“What about your parents?” David questioned softly.

“Well, my dad left when we were kids,” Remmy replied easily, not too worried about it. “Mom moved to Florida. She hated the cold as much as I do. Last I heard, she married some real estate guy or something.”

“You don’t talk to her much?” David inquired as the sound of scraping came over the speaker.

Remmy frowned in confusion, not knowing what the noise was. “I talk to her once a week, but it’s more her asking if I’m okay and telling me to get a real job,” he replied, shifting onto his side. “Are you busy? I don’t want to keep you if you are.”

David chuckled softly as more scraping was heard. “It’s fine,” he assured. “I have a headset on, so my hands are free.”

“Oh,” Remmy murmured, yawning widely. “What are you doing? You had said you were going to be busy all weekend. You didn’t have to call if you didn’t have time.”

“I wanted to call,” David murmured, chuckling at the tired sounding voice. “As for what I’m doing, I’m scraping paint off walls.”

Remmy hummed thoughtfully, reaching for the blanket at the end of the bed as he shivered. Situating it around his shoulders, he moved the phone closer to his mouth. “Scraping paint?” he questioned softly.

“Yeah,” David replied easily. “I mentioned that I’m renovating the house I bought, right?”

“You did!” Remmy replied excitedly around another yawn. “What room are you working on right now?”

David chuckled and the sound of scraping stopped. “If you’re tired, I can let you go,” he murmured. “You sound like you’re about to fall asleep.”

Remmy adjusted the blanket with a disappointed moan. “No, I’m okay,” he insisted, his eyes falling closed as he listened to the other man’s voice. “Now, what room are you working on right now?”

David chuckled at the stubbornness in Remmy’s voice. “Alright,” he replied. “I’m working on the den right now. I installed the new fireplace yesterday with some help from a couple of the guys who work for me and now I’m prepping the walls to be repainted.”

“A fireplace?” Remmy questioned happily. “That must be nice. I love fireplaces.”

“Oh?” David murmured as the sound of him moving things around came over the speaker. “Why do you like fireplaces?”

Remmy made a happy sound in the back of his throat as he stated, “They’re nice to cuddle in front of. My sister and I used to cuddle in front of the one in our house growing up. I can’t count the number of times Mom found us there in the morning, bundled together in blankets.”

David laughed softly, asking, “How old is your sister?”

“We’re twins, so twenty-eight,” Remmy replied softly, pushing his face into the pillow more. “Rhea is great. She’s a nurse in Toronto right now. Her husband is great too. Do you have any siblings?”

“I do,” David murmured softly. “Geoff. It was his anniversary party last week. He’s been married to his husband for five years.”

“That sounds nice,” Remmy whispered into the phone, his body starting to feel heavy as he started to fall asleep. “Sometimes I feel jealous of my sister...”

All sound paused from the phone before David asked softly, “Oh? Why is that?”

Remmy hummed tiredly as he replied, “She’s got someone who loves her. She doesn’t...have to worry about whether or not she’ll be alone.”

“I see,” David stated, his tone gentle. “And that’s something that you want?”

“It’d be nice waking up and finding I’m not alone,” Remmy murmured softly. “I’m always alone. My friends think everything is just peachy, but it’s lonely not knowing.”

“Not knowing what?” David inquired.

“If I’ll be alone forever,” Remmy whispered, his tone slurring. “I’m tired of not being able to hold down a relationship. No matter how hard I try, it never works out.”

David listened to the soft breathing that came over the line, replying softly, “I’m sure you won’t be alone for long.”

“That’d be nice,” Remmy whispered, his body relaxing. “I’d like to wake up and have someone there to talk to right away...” He didn’t hear David’s response as his body finally gave up and his breathing evened out as he fell asleep, happy for the first time in a long time.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

David smiled softly as he listened to Remmy’s voice drift as he finally fell asleep. Instead of hanging up, he cleaned up quietly and moved out of the den he had been working on. The rest of the work could wait until Remmy woke up. After listening to the younger man, he couldn’t bring himself to just hang up the phone. He couldn’t be there with him when he woke up, but at least he’d be able to say hi.

Putting himself on mute, he moved around his kitchen, making himself lunch. It was almost noon and he had gotten so involved in his work that he’d almost lost track of time. As he was finishing up with the sandwich he’d started making, he heard the front door open and grinned as his brother came into the kitchen.

Geoff paused upon seeing the Bluetooth headset his brother was wearing. “If you’re on the phone with someone, I can come back later,” he murmured softly, not wanting to interrupt his brother.

“It’s okay,” David replied, starting another sandwich and pushing the one he’d just finished towards his brother. “It’s on mute and he’s sleeping.”

Geoff frowned in confusion as he sat at the counter and grabbed the sandwich. “Sleeping?” he questioned, taking a bite of the sandwich. “Who are you talking to?”

Quickly finishing the second sandwich, David nodded and sat down with his brother. “Remmy,” he replied. “He just fell asleep a few moments ago. I put myself on mute so I wouldn’t wake him.”

Geoff stared at his brother, a small grin on his face. “Why didn’t you just hang up?” he inquired with a small laugh.

David shrugged and took a bite of the sandwich. “I didn’t feel like it,” he answered simply, ignoring the knowing look Geoff gave him.

“You actually really like him,” Geoff murmured, placing the sandwich down on the plate and propping his elbows on the counter as he stared at his brother.

“He’s a sweet man,” David murmured, not fazed by the way his brother looked at him. He was old enough to not be bothered by the careful examinations that his brother subjected people to.

“He seemed young,” Geoff murmured, recalling the man from the party the previous week. He’d only seen him briefly when everyone had been leaving, but he’d seemed much younger than his brother.

“He’s twenty-eight,” David replied easily.

“You’re thirty-six,” Geoff murmured with a grin.

“I know,” David stated, taking another bit of his sandwich. “Eat the sandwich I gave you. You’re too thin.”

Smiling, Geoff nodded and picked up the sandwich, taking a bite to appease his brother. “You aren’t concerned about his age?” he inquired.

“It’s just a number,” David replied, smiling at his brother. “It’ll be fine, Geoff. You don’t need to worry.”

“I’m allowed to worry about my big brother,” Geoff stated firmly, snorting at the look he received in return. “How long are you planning to stay on the phone?”

David smiled as he heard a soft snore come over the phone, chuckling. “Until he wakes up or accidently hangs up on me,” he replied, meeting his brother’s eyes.

“What?” Geoff asked, curious as to why his brother was smiling like he was.

“He’s snoring,” David murmured, finishing off his sandwich. “It’s cute.”

Rolling his eyes, Geoff polished off the rest of his sandwich and took his and his brother’s plates to the sink, washing them quickly before leaving them to dry. “You’ve only just met him and you’re this bad already,” he stated, laughing at the amused look on his brother’s face. Moving back to his brother, he hugged him gently, careful not to dislodge the headset. “All I ask is that you be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

David returned the hug and smiled at the smaller man. “I’m a grown man, Geoff,” he murmured. “I’ll be fine. We’re just getting to know each other.”

Geoff grinned and nodded knowingly. “Tell that to the cutie snoring in your ear right now,” he replied.

“Hush,” David replied, laughing.

“Well, I was going to ask you to go shopping with me, but seeing as you’re busy...” Geoff stated, laughing as he moved towards the front door. “I’ll leave you alone with your new love interest. Mother wants to meet him, by the way.”

“You told her already?” David groaned, shaking his head. “I haven’t even taken him on a date yet, Geoff.”

“She’s an impatient woman,” Geoff called, laughing. “I told her to leave you alone for at least a month. She agreed because she doesn’t want to scare him off and leave you alone again.”

Rolling his eyes, David followed his brother to the front door, fixing his jacket before he could set foot outside. “Keep bundled up,” he ordered, grinning down at Geoff. “You’ll get sick.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Geoff grumbled, opening the door to a blast of cool air. “You worry too much, just like Chris.”

“It’s because we love you,” David replied with a laugh, waving to his brother as he descended the stairs. “Be careful driving.”

“I will,” Geoff called back, climbing into his car.

Grinning, David watched his brother pull onto the street and drive off before shutting the door. Looking around the entry way, he smiled and shook his head before moving to the stairs. Climbing them, he pushed open the door to his bedroom and pulled his tee shirt over his head, throwing it into the laundry bin, careful not to dislodge the headset. Moments later his shorts and boxers followed.

Moving into the adjoining bathroom, he flicked on the shower and placed his phone on the countertop. Switching the phone to speaker, he ensured it was still muted before turning the volume up and placing his headset next to the phone. Turning to the shower, he started the water and adjusted the heat before stepping under the spray with a sigh.

He paused in grabbing the body wash when he heard a soft murmur from the phone before Remmy’s breathing evened out again in sleep and he chuckled. “Maybe Geoff is right,” he murmured, soaping up his body.

It had been a long time since he’d shown this much interest in someone and it was refreshing. His brother had tried to set him up with several of his friends before but none of them had really appealed to him, so he’d told him to stop trying, telling him that he was in no rush to settle down. In reality, he just wanted to find someone on his own. He enjoyed the idea of having to get to know someone he’d never met and finding similar interests.

It excited him to think about spending time with Remmy. Lately it had felt like he was just going through life with no purpose. He had his company and he was happy with the work they did. He’d just bought his house a few months before, purposely choosing one that needed repairs and renovations so as to keep himself busy. His friends and family were the same they’d been for years. All in all, his life was good. He’d just been missing someone to share it with, and he honestly hoped that Remmy could be that someone.

He wasn’t deluded as to think that he was in love with the younger man. As his brother had said, he’d just met him. But that didn’t stop him from thinking that the possibility of falling in love with him was there. Of course, there was definitely a lot more they had to learn about each other. He didn’t know if they had anything in common, or if they would get on with each other, but he was willing to try and put in the effort.

He knew that the younger man was attracted to him, just as he knew that he was confused about it. He’d spoken with Nate briefly about Remmy during the party and he’d learned that he was not usually the type that Remmy went for. He hadn’t shown that he was interested in him but had instead carefully probed for information. He didn’t want to upset the younger man by making it seem like he was fishing for information that he might not want to share.

He grinned as he felt himself twitch but ignored it. Remmy was certainly attractive and if he was being honest with himself, he was definitely not someone he would have thought to pursue before. Had it not been for the very obvious interest in the coffee shop, he probably would never have approached him and instead admired him for the brief time he’d had a chance to see him before moving on.

Sticking his head under the stream of water, he chuckled as he thought of how the young man had tried to hide his examination of him. He hadn’t succeeded but it had been cute to watch. He supposed he owed his brother and his husband for choosing Ryan’s club for the party as it gave him the opportunity to meet the young man.

Shutting off the water, he slicked his hair back and wrapped a towel around his waist as he stepped out from the shower, pausing to listen to the soft breathing coming from the phone. Chuckling, he wiped the steam from the mirror and went about shaving as his ears stayed tuned into the phone. Glancing at the time on the phone, he grinned as he saw that the call had been connected for almost three hours already and wondered how he’d missed so much time passing. He figured they’d been talking for maybe an hour tops before Remmy’d fallen asleep.

Finishing up in the bathroom, he grabbed his phone and headset and headed back into the bedroom. Pulling out a clean pair of shorts, he pulled them up over his hips, foregoing underwear and reclining on the bed, popping the ear buds back into his ears and returning the call to Bluetooth. Picking up the remote, he flicked the tv on and turned it to soft country station before picking up the book he’d been reading.

As he listened to the soft breathing coming through the phone, he smiled softly and immersed himself in the book he’d started the week previous, soon losing himself in the story and the characters. He hadn’t spent time reading in such a long time, and it was nice to relax and not worry about anything. He’d put so much of his time into fixing up the house he’d bought that between that and work, he’d not had much time to just relax.

He was so deep into his book that it took him a moment to realize that the sounds coming over the phone were not the soft snoring that he’d been listening to and he glanced at the phone to notice that the almost three hours had progressed into almost five. Chuckling softly, he un-muted the phone and listened for a brief moment as Remmy woke up, his sleepy sighs making him chuckle slightly.

“Hello, sleepyhead,” he murmured softly, chuckling at the soft moan that echoed through the headset. Turning the volume down on the tv, he took the headset off and put the phone to speaker, placing it on his chest as he relaxed back on the bed and placed his book down after marking his page. “Did you enjoy your rest?”

“David...?” Remmy questioned quietly, his tone confused as it came over the speaker.

“Yeah,” David confirmed, chuckling at the happy hum that answered him.

“You didn’t hang up...” Remmy murmured as sounds of him shifting around came over the phone. “Why?”

David smiled and pushed an arm underneath his head as he looked at the ceiling. “You seemed like you would appreciate having someone to talk to when you woke up,” he replied softly. “I didn’t want to disappoint you.” There was silence from the other line and David smiled as he thought of the blush that must be on Remmy’s cheeks.

“You didn’t have to,” Remmy whispered softly, his tone hesitant.

“I know,” David acknowledged. “But I wanted to anyway.”

“Thank you,” Remmy said, his tone telling the other man exactly how happy he was to have not woken up alone again. “I thought you were busy though?”

“I took a break,” David replied. “I’ve been doing nothing but work on this house since I bought it so I decided that I would relax instead.”

“Oh...” Remmy murmured. “I’m sorry if you stopped because of me.”

“Don’t be,” David reassured. “I stopped because I wanted to. I could have kept working, but you sounded so peaceful that it made me want to relax instead. I was just reading.”

Remmy laughed softly, his voice taking on a happy lilt as he replied, “I’m sure that I wasn’t the best company, being asleep and all.”

“Not at all,” David replied with a soft chuckle. “Your little snores were adorable. It was very pleasant to listen to.”

“I don’t snore!” Remmy exclaimed, his tone almost whining.

Laughing, David grinned up at the ceiling. “You do,” he stated. “But it was very cute. More like little huffing noises than full on snores.”

A moan of embarrassment came over the phone as Remmy’s tone turned pleading, “Don’t say that...”

David snorted in amusement, shaking his head. “Did you sleep well?” he asked, changing the subject and letting the man relax. A soft yawn and a moan answered him as he heard Remmy shift.

“Yeah,” Remmy replied, sounding a little more awake. “I’m starving though. I didn’t eat before falling asleep.”

“That’s not good,” David murmured, frowning. “When was the last time you had something to eat?”

“Umm...” Remmy murmured, sounding as if he was thinking. “Probably yesterday afternoon? The club was busy all night so neither Ryan nor Nate had a chance to run and grab me food, and I couldn’t leave the booth. Normally I’d grab food on the way home, but I was too distracted.”

David tsked softly and frowned at the phone on his chest. “So, you haven’t eaten in almost twenty-four hours?” he questioned.

“Probably closer to thirty,” Remmy admitted sheepishly.

“You should eat more, Remmy,” David chastised, sighing. “Do you have anything to eat at your place, or are you going to go out for food?”

“One second,” Remmy muttered, shifting.

A loud curse came over the phone, followed by a loud bang and even more cursing. Sitting up, David looked at the phone in concern as he heard loud scraping through the phone. “Remmy? Are you okay?” he questioned as he raised his voice slightly to be heard over the noise on the other end.

“Sorry!” Remmy called, sounding distant as he cursed again. There was a shuffling noise and then Remmy was back on the line. “Sorry about that.”

“What happened?” David asked, concerned.

“I stubbed my toe on the end of the bed when I got up and dropped my phone,” Remmy explained, hissing lightly. “Fuck that hurts...”

Wincing in sympathy, David settled back on the bed. “Are you bleeding?” he asked.

“Nah,” Remmy replied, before more noises came over the line. “I stub my toe at least once a week on the same damn spot. You’d think I’d learn but apparently not.”

David chuckled softly and shook his head. “You should be more careful,” he murmured, marking his spot in his book and closing it, placing it back on the bedside table.

“I know,” Remmy replied, sighing. “Looks like I’m going to have to go out for breakfast though. Apparently, I need to go grocery shopping.”

“That’s unfortunate,” David murmured, stopping himself from inviting the man over. He didn’t want to put Remmy in a situation where he was unfamiliar with his surroundings. He’d have the man over eventually, but only after they’d had a chance to meet up in public a couple of times and get to know each other better.

“Meh, it is what it is,” Remmy stated, his tone uncertain. “I should probably get dressed and go out...”

“That would be best,” David agreed, smiling at the tone. “You need food.”

“Yeah...” Remmy said softly.

David chuckled when the other man didn’t say anything else, shaking his head in amusement. “You need to hang up the phone if you want to get dressed...” he prompted softly, his heart feeling light at the frustrated sound that answered him.

“I know...” Remmy muttered hesitantly.

David smiled softly and asked, “Are you doing anything tomorrow?”

“No,” Remmy replied immediately, his tone hopeful.

“Did you want to meet for lunch tomorrow afternoon?” David questioned, laughing softly. “So I can make sure you eat properly?”

“Where?” Remmy questioned, his tone excited.

“Do you like Spanish food?” David questioned, grinning.

“I don’t know,” Remmy admitted, surprised. “I haven’t really had anything Spanish. Unless...does tacos count?”

David laughed and shook his head. “That’s Mexican,” he chastised.

“Oh...” Remmy muttered, sounding embarrassed. “I guess not then.”

“There’s a nice Spanish restaurant in the German Village, on East Whittier Street,” David specified. “It’s called The Valencia. The food there is fantastic.”

“Oh, I know that place!” Remmy exclaimed. “It’s not too far from the grocery store I go to.”

“How about meeting me there?” David invited. “Say about...two pm? We can call it a late lunch.”

“That...sounds amazing, actually,” Remmy announced happily.

“Great,” David replied. “I’ll call and make a reservation for us then. It shouldn’t be a problem seeing as it’s October and they’re usually only really busy in the summer. They have an amazing patio.”

“Okay,” Remmy agreed. “I guess...I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon then?”

“Definitely,” David agreed, smiling. “I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.”

“Alright then...” Remmy murmured hesitantly. “I should probably go then.”

“Enjoy the rest of your day, okay?” David stated. “Make sure you eat something healthy. You need it to counteract all the sugar from the cappuccino I’m sure you’ll be drinking today.”

Remmy laughed softly and replied, “Will do. I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t work too hard. You need to take time and relax every now and then.”

David pushed himself up on the bed and smiled. “I’ll take the rest of the day and relax. Scouts honour,” he promised, smile widening at the approving hum that came across the line.

“Good,” Remmy stated firmly. “I’ll talk to you later then.”

“Alright,” David replied. “Talk to you later.”

He listened for a moment and laughed when he heard the line disconnect finally. Placing his phone on the bed he sighed and glanced at his book. Chuckling, he shifted his phone out of the way and settled back on the bed again with his book. He had promised to relax, after all. It wouldn’t be appropriate to go back on his word.


	5. Chapter 5

Remmy spent the rest of Sunday in a hazy mix of excitement and impatience. He was tempted to go back to bed right away so that when he woke up it would be Monday already, but he knew that it wouldn’t work. If anything, he would wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to get back to sleep and then he’d be too tired to actually talk to David when they had lunch together.

As it was, he left his apartment after getting dressed and had breakfast at the diner near his house, sitting in his regular booth. It was the place he went whenever he needed to think or bounce ideas off someone that wasn’t one of his best friends. He wanted to call Reina or Ryan and gush about David, but he knew how they would react. He didn’t _gush_. The moment he started acting out of character, they would be all in his business and this was one thing that he didn’t want them to ruin.

Not that he thought that they would _ruin_ it per se, but he wanted to keep it to himself without them interfering for as long as possible. He knew that the moment his friends intruded on his relationship – or whatever was happening with David – it would become complicated with the questions that his friends were bound to ask. And those questions were ones that he, himself didn’t even have all the answers for.

He looked up as a guy dropped into the seat across from him and smiled widely at the other man. “Matty!” he exclaimed. “I didn’t know you were working today.”

“I picked up an extra shift,” Matty replied with a grin. “Good thing, too. You look like you have a lot on your mind.”

Matthew Breton; he had been someone that Remmy had tried dating a few years back and it had just been awkward between them from the start. They’d made a joint decision that it was better they just be friends and the rest had been history. Since then, whenever Remmy had something on his mind that he didn’t feel ready to share with Reina or Ryan, he talked to Matty.

“Yeah, kinda,” Remmy murmured, nodding at the waiter that brought over his food and the cappuccino he’d ordered.

“So, what happened?” Matty questioned, smiling at the waiter as he reminded him he started in twenty.

“I...met someone,” Remmy stated softly, looking down as he twisted the mug in his hands.

“That’s great!” Matty exclaimed excitedly. “What’s his name? Is he nice? Does he like you?”

Remmy smiled softly, glancing up and meeting Matty’s eyes. “You’re not going to ask what he looks like?” he inquired.

Matty smiled knowingly, suddenly realizing why his friend was so preoccupied. “Do you like him?” he asked softly in response.

“I...yeah, I think I do,” Remmy replied with a small grin.

“Then what does it matter what he looks like?” Matty questioned with a happy smile. “As long as you’re happy and he’s good to you, then why should it matter?”

Remmy sighed and nodded, his smile brightening. “His name is David,” he revealed. “He’s really nice, Matty. We met last week. He was at Reina’s coffee shop, though I didn’t really speak to him there. His brother had booked Ryan’s club for an anniversary party. When he showed up there, he startled the hell outta me. I didn’t expect to see him again, let alone so soon.”

“David’s a nice name,” Matty stated, nodding. “Does he like you?”

“I think he does,” Remmy murmured. “We talked for a bit on Thursday night. Ryan got him to bring my food and cappuccino to me while he served the rest of the party. Apparently, Nate knows him and his brother.”

“Have you talked since then?” Matty demanded, leaning forward with a smile. “Did you get his number?”

Remmy laughed and took a sip of his cappuccino. “We talked this morning,” he admitted with a grin. “I forgot to ask for his number Thursday night. I was so frazzled to see him again that I could barely even look at him without stuttering.”

“Geeze...” Matty murmured, astonished. “He must be gorgeous for _you_ to lose your cool like that.”

Remmy shrugged uncomfortably and muttered, “Reina called him...homely.”

Matty tilted his head in thought and sat back, examining his friend curiously. “He’s older than you, isn’t he?” he asked knowingly.

“Yeah,” Remmy replied. “I’m not sure how much older, but he definitely is.”

“You haven’t told either Reina or Ryan that you like him,” Matty stated, getting an answering nod in response. “That tells me he’s not your normal type. Are you embarrassed to like someone like him?”

“No!” Remmy exclaimed, looking up with wide eyes. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about! I...just know what those two are like and they won’t be able to stop from asking questions that I don’t know how to answer yet.”

“I see,” Matty murmured. “What kind of questions?”

Remmy shifted in his seat and sighed. “I dunno,” he muttered, staring at his plate. “Why him? Why not someone cuter? How could I be attracted to someone older? Why someone so far from the type I usually go after...? Why...why a...?” He trailed off, his face turning red as he shifted in his seat again.

“Why a...what?” Matty questioned seriously, staring at his friend in concern. He’d never seen Remmy this shy and self-conscious before and it was both cute and worrying.

“A top...” Remmy whispered, fingers tightening on the coffee mug he held. “It’s...unlikely that he’s anything else. Everyone who knows me _knows_ that I don’t bottom, but...”

“With him, you want to,” Matty finished with a sigh, shaking his head. “You know that no one would think any less of you, right?”

Remmy nodded hesitantly and seemed to fold in on himself. “I know,” he admitted reluctantly. “But you don’t know Reina and Ryan. They’ve been my friends since high school and they always need to know everything about me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s mutual, but this time...I kinda want to keep something to myself for once. At least, until I know what that something is. Know what I mean?”

“I do,” Matty replied, reaching across the table and placing his hand on Remmy’s. “If you want my opinion, I think you’ll be fine. It’s your life, Remmy. No one can live it but you. If you feel you need to keep this from them for now, then that’s your choice to make. But...can I offer one piece of advice?”

Remmy looked up and nodded, releasing his hold on the cup and clutching Matty’s hand. “Of course,” he murmured.

“If you really like this David person, don’t hide it for too long,” Matty stated, meeting Remmy’s eyes. “The longer you hide it from people you care about, the harder it will be to explain why you did. If you expect a relationship to develop fully with this man, you need to be open. It won’t be fair to either of you to hide your feelings.”

“I know,” Remmy stated with a soft smile. “I just...want to spend time with him without my life interfering. I want to at least have a chance to get to know him before I chance scaring him away.”

Matty nodded and leaned back, crossing his arms with a smirk. “As long as you realize you can’t hide your feelings forever,” he declared. “Now, I have to ask. What does this guy look like that he can turn you into a shy little boy?”

Groaning, Remmy dropped sideways, hiding his face against the bench as Matty laughed at him. “Damnit Matty...” he whined.

“No getting out of it,” Matty declared with a wide grin. “Consider this my payment for listening to you over the last few years. Now hurry up. I have work in...five minutes.”

Sighing, Remmy pushed himself up and looked at Matty with a deep blush on his face. “Really...?” he pleaded, hoping his friend would take pity on him.

Laughing, Matty rubbed his hands together and leaned closer over the table. “Oh, if your face is this red, I really wanna know,” he whispered excitedly.

“Fine...” Remmy moaned, rubbing his hand over his face. “Well, he’s got the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen...” He looked up as he described David, taking in the eager look on Matty’s face as he did so. He was so distracted by the description he was giving that he and Matty both jumped when a waitress appeared at the table with a grin on her face.

“Matty,” she scolded with a laugh at the dual looks of shock she received. “Your shift started five minutes ago, honey.”

“Shit!” Matty exclaimed, shifting out of the booth and standing. “I’m so sorry Fiona.”

“It’s fine,” Fiona laughed, smiling at the two men. “It looked like Remmy needed to talk.”

Remmy smiled at Fiona, nodding slightly. “Thanks, Fi,” he stated. “I really did.”

Fiona nodded and turned to walk away. “Hurry up, Matty,” she called, laughing again.

“We’re not finished here,” Matty declared, grinning at the blush that dusted his friend’s cheeks. “David sounds gorgeous. Reina is very obviously blind.”

“Go clock in so Fi can take her break,” Remmy urged, blushing deeply as he turned his attention to the plate in front of him as his stomach grumbled. Picking up his fork, he smiled softly as he ate. A quick glance at his phone told him that he was only just after six in the evening. Still another twenty hours until he got to have lunch with David.

David sighed as he looked up at the ceiling of his bedroom, his arms behind his head underneath the pillows and the sheet sitting just above his hips. It was almost eight in the morning and usually he’d be up by now getting ready for the day but instead he was lying in bed. It was Monday morning, and he had a date later that afternoon.

The very thought brought a smile to his lips and he wondered if Remmy was awake yet as he glanced at his phone, wondering if he should call and say good morning. He resisted the urge, telling himself that it would be inappropriate to do so when they hadn’t even been on a date yet. His arm reached out across to the other side of the bed, wondering what it would be like to have someone laying there next to him.

Chuckling, he looked at his nightstand as his phone rang and grabbed it. Glancing at the caller ID he grinned and answered it. “Hello, Geoff,” he murmured.

“...”

“Nah,” he laughed. “I haven’t even gotten out of bed yet.”

“...”

“A guy can’t sleep in past eight anymore?” he questioned, amused.

“...”

David snorted at the response. He supposed he really was one to crawl out of bed super early if his brother was that surprised. “Yeah, well,” he started. “Maybe I decided that I needed to relax once in a while.”

“...”

“Maybe I had some positive influence in my life,” he snipped, chuckling at the response.

“...”

“No, he’s not here with me, Geoff,” he replied, rolling his eyes. “Please give me a little credit.”

“...”

David blushed lightly and sighed. “You’ve got a dirty mouth, ya know that?” he asked.

“...”

“I’m going to do this properly, Geoff,” he stated firmly, shaking his head. “If I wanted a quick fuck, I’d go find one.”

“...”

“I realize that, Geoff,” he said with amusement. “I’d just rather get to know him _first_. It’s pointless if we can’t get along.”

“...”

“Actually, I’m seeing him later today,” he announced, pulling the phone from his ear as his brother screamed through the phone. “Calm down, spaz. I’m meeting him for lunch.”

“...”

“Like I’m about to tell you,” he muttered dryly. “Last thing I need is for you to ‘be in the area’ and show up in the middle of us eating.”

“...”

“Yes, you are that bad,” he retorted, laughing.

“...”

“Two words, little brother,” David commented with a smirk. “State. Fair.”

“...”

“I don’t believe you now and I didn’t then,” he replied with a bark of laughter.

“...”

“Uh huh...”

“...”

“Geoff, you’re digging yourself a deeper hole,” he murmured, grinning. “I’m going to hang up now. I want to get the sanding done in the den before I have to get ready for this afternoon.”

“...”

“Don’t you dare tell Mother,” David warned, sighing.

“...”

“Bye, Geoff...” he said loudly, hanging up the phone with a small grin.

Laughing, he sat up on the edge of the bed and stretched. Standing, he pulled on an old pair of shorts and went about his morning as he got ready for the day. He decided against showering right away as he’d only have to take another one in a couple of hours before he left to meet Remmy for lunch.

Walking down the stairs, he quickly made himself a large breakfast so that he would be fine until later that afternoon and got to work on the den again. He still had to finish sanding the paint from the moulding before he could start repainting and he was determined to start painting the following weekend.

Setting an alarm on his phone, he plugged his ear buds into his ears and turned on some music before getting to work on the room. Throwing himself into his work, he smiled slightly as he wondered what Remmy would think of the place. The house was large and had a huge open floor plan, something that had drawn him to it right away. He just hoped that he was able to get at least the den done before he invited Remmy over. It would be a good place to just relax and watch a movie.

Sighing, he stepped back from the moulding that he had just finished and glanced around the room, surprised to see that he’d actually managed to finish up before the alarm on his phone went off. Humming thoughtfully, he grabbed the broom and dustpan and swept up the dust from the floor. He had moved all the furniture out ahead of time, so he didn’t have to worry about dust cloths or anything like that.

As he dumped the last bit of dirt into the bin he had placed in the middle of the room, the music in his ears cut out and his alarm rang. Dusting off his hands, he grabbed the phone from his back pocket and turned off the alarm with a grin. Time to get ready.

As he walked up the stairs, he sent a quick text to Remmy to confirm the time and place. He didn’t want to waste his time if the younger man had changed his mind. The message hadn’t been sent for more than a few seconds before he received a response and he chuckled, opening the return message as he reached the landing.

‘ _I’ll be there. I can’t wait to see what Spanish food is like. And the company will be good as well, which is always a bonus!_ ’

Laughing softly, David shook his head and pushed open the door to his bedroom. So, he was more confident when he didn’t have to actually talk, was he? That was interesting to know. Placing his phone on the nightstand, he plugged in the charger so it could charge while he got ready and looked at the time. Just past noon. It would take him about an hour to get ready and then he would have to drive over to the German Village. On a good day, it normally only took about fifteen to twenty minutes, but in the middle of the day he expected it to take about half an hour minimum.

Grinning, he turned to the bathroom with a determined stride in his step. He had a date to get ready for and he was hopeful as to how it would turn out.


End file.
